Apparatus for stencil-marking traveling product



United States Patent Inventors Gerald'A. Francis;

Jerry A. Henkener; Joseph ll. McNinch, Jr.; Howard B. Pritz; Michael U. Widman,

Columbus, Ohio Appl. No. 705,734

Filed Feb. 15, 1968 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 Assignee United States Steel Corporation Monroeville, Pennsylvania a corporation of Delaware APPARATUS FOR STENCIL-MARKING TRAVELING PRODUCT 7 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 101/121 Int. Cl. B41l 13/00 Field ofSearch 101/114, 124,121,129, 118,119,1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1931 Zubli 101/114 3,143,960 8/1964 Naczynski 101/121 3,349,697 10/1967 Didinger 101/124X 3,434,865 3/1969 Doquire et al. 101/1 14X Primary ExaminerWilliam B. Penn Attorney-Donald S. Ferito ABSTRACT: Apparatus for supporting a marking stencil above the path of a traveling plate and discharging a spray jet onto the stencil when the plate is in registry therewith, comprises a housing movable into markingposition and retractable therefrom. The housing contains aplurality of rotatable stencils, remotely controlled, and power means for setting them. A nozzle above each stencil is connected by a valve to a source of marking fluid under high pressure. A power-driven actuator common to all valves operates them rapidly and simultaneously whereby characters are formed on the plate below the stencils. After marking has been completed, water sprays are turned on to wash the stencils and air jets to dry them.

PATENTEI] mm mm 3545-376 SHEET 2 OF 7 PA TENTED DEC 8 I970 SHEET 5 OF 7 PATENTED on: 8 I970 SHEET 7 OF 7 &

APPARATUS FOR STENCIL-MARKING TRAVELING PRODUCT This invention relates to apparatus for marking traveling plates while still at high temperature after rolling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the preferred embodiment, we provide a housing pivotally mounted adjacent the path of the plate for swinging movement from a retracted position to a position extending across the path. Spray outlet ports are spaced along the bottom of the housing. In the housing are journaled a plurality of stencil disks one for each port, each having remotely controlled power means for setting it so the desired character registers with its port. Each stencil has a spray-jet nozzle thereabove controlled by a spring-closed valve. Operating means common to all the valves simultaneously effects a brief opening thereof. A high pressure source of marking fluid is 1 thus connected to the nozzles for a fraction of a second and the resulting spray passing through the characters in the stencils forms characters on the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS removed for clarity, of the valve actuator of the invention;

FIGS. 6A and 68 together constitute an elevational view, partly in section, with parts removed for clarity, of the valve actuator and with stencils and ports in the housing shown schematically;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line Vll-VII of FIG. 58;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 6A1

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line IX-IX of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line X-X ofFIG. 6B; and

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line XI-XI of FIG. 6B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings and, for the present,

particularly to FIGS. I and 2, the apparatus of our invention indicated generally at 10, is supported on a frame 11 upstanding on base 12 and comprising posts-I3, lintel 14 and transoms 15. As shown in FIG. 1, frame 11 stands beside a plate conveyor 16, including base railsl7 and rollers 18 journaled thereon in spaced relation,'-and is disposed in a plane at about a 45 angle to the direction of travel of a plate 19 along the conveyor. Frame 11 isbraced by inclined stringers 20.

A vertical shaft 21 is journaled in bearings 22 mounted on the lintel 14 and lower transom 15, respectively, and is supported on a thrust bearing 23. A housing 24 in the form of a relatively shallow box, tapering at one end, is mounted on shaft 21 and extends radially thereof as a cantilever. A fluidpressure cylinder-and-piston assembly .25 is pivotally mounted in the tapering end of the housing and the piston rod thereof extends outwardly through a slot 26 for pivotal connection to the upper transom 15 by a pin 27. By energization of the cylinder and piston, the housing may be caused to swing from the dotted line retracted position to the solid-line operating position in which it extends over conveyor 16. Shock-absorbing stops 28 and 29 limit angular movement of the housing in its outward and return travel.

The bottom of housing 24, a plate designated 30, slopes toward frame 11. This permits drainage of liquids from the lower end of the housing into a collection trough 31 therebelow. Plate 30 is in two'parts, 30a and 30b, and the latter is hinged to the former by hinge brackets 32 and pins 33 (FIG. 3). s,

On the side of housing .10 facing the direction from which plate 19 on conveyor l6approaches, a bumper bar 34 (FIG. 4) is pivoted adjacent one end on a vertical pin 34a. A fluidcushion bumper check 35 has a pusher head 36 extending outwardly from the housingso as to be engaged by bar 34 when actuated by impact of a plate end bowed upwardly from the conveyor above normal level. On the occurrence of such impact, housing 10 isswung back to out-of-the-way position. A switch 350 may be employed to energize the cylinder 25 to aid this retraction. A retainer 35r attached to the bumper 34 prevents it from flying away when hit.

Plate 30 has a plurality of spray-discharge ports 37 spaced therealong in the direction of plate travel. Above each port a stencil disc 38 is mounted on a vertical shaft 39. Each of the several shafts extends downwardly from one of a plurality of stencil-setting units 40 mounted in housing 24 transversely of the path of plate travel and resting on spaced rails 41. These units are, commercially available, operate by fluid pressure under remote control and serve to position the stencil disks so that a preselected character thereof is over port 37. One, example of stencil-setting units is that mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,960, as manufactured by Westinghouse Air Brake Company. When the several stencils have been set to apply the desired designation to a plate, all that is required is the discharge of a brief spray of marking liquid through the characters of the stencils in registry with ports 37. Any suitable liquid may be employed but the preferred composition is that disclosed and claimed in Lankard et al. application, Ser. No. 612,783, filed Jan. 31, 1967, viz., 50 Baume sodium silicate solution to which 5 pounds titanium oxide and 1.25 pounds kaolin per gallon are added.

For discharging sprays of marking liquid through the characters of stencil disks 38, we employ a bank of nozzles 42 extending downwardly from a beam 43, one for each disc. Each nozzle includes a valve 44 (FIG. 11) and a connection 45 to a source of marking liquid under high pressure. The several valves are normally seated by closing springs 46 and are opened briefly in unison by a common cam bar 47 (FIGS. 68 and 10) slidable in a slot 48 (FIG. 10) formed in beam 43. This beam is mounted in housing 24 as shown in FIG. 4 and has associated therewith a cy|inder-and-piston actuator 494A fluid-pressure check50 is located at one end of the actuator and the latter has a laterally extending link 51 connecting it t bar 47. (FIGS. 3, 4, 5A, 53, 6A, 6B and 9).

Slide bar 47 has a cam portion 52 for each valve whereby a quick stroke of the bar in either direction opens all valves briefly, acting through follower rollers v53 and lifting cages 54 (FIG. 11). The valve operating mechanism is similar in principle to that described and claimed in Teplitz application, Ser. No. 570,893, filed Aug. 8, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,787, dated May 13, 1969. A screw 55 (FIGS. 58, 6B and 7) threaded into a hole in one end of beam 43 permits manual actuation of bar 47 where it is desired to hold valves 44 open for flushing. A supply manifold 56 for marking liquid is secured to one side of beam 43 (FIGS. 58 and 11).

Water and air manifolds 57 and 58 (FIG. 3) mounted in the outer end of housing 24 have nozzles 57N and 58N spaced therealong for discharging cleaning and drying jets onto stencil disks 38 and nozzles 42.

Although we have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of our invention, we intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for applying character markings to a workpiece comprising means for conveying said workpiece in a generally horizontal plane, a supporting structure mounted adjacent said conveying means, character stencils movably mounted on said structure, means mounted on said structure for moving each stencil to a selected position, said structure including a plate located between said stencils and said conveying means, said plate containing a plurality of ports in line with said stencils, a marking-fluid nozzle mounted on said structure spaced from each stencil on the opposite side thereof from the conveyingmeans in axial alignment with said ports and adapted to discharge marking fluid at a high pressure through the stencils and ports onto the workpiece, valves mounted on said structure controlling the flow of marking fluid through said nozzles, valve-actuator means mounted on said structure for simultaneously opening said valves for a brief period of time when a workpiece is in alignment with said ports, power means on said structure for operating said actuator means, means for directing water under pressure on the side of said stencils adjacent said nozzles, and means adjacent said nozzles for directing air under pressure on the side of said stencils.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a housing of which said plate is adjacent said conveying means, said housing enclosing said stencils, nozzles, valves, actuator and power means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a vertical shaft journaled adjacent said conveying means, and means for mounting said housing on said shaft for swinging movement from a stationary operative position in line with said conveying means to a retracted inoperative position away from the conveying means.

4. Apparatus for applying character markings to a workpiece comprising means for conveying said workpiece, a supporting structure mounted adjacent said conveying means, character stencils movably mounted on said structure, means mounted on said structure for moving each stencil to a selected position, said structure including a plate located between said stencils and said conveying means, said plate located containing a plurality of ports in line with said stencils, a marking-fluid nozzle mounted on said structure spaced from and above each stencil in axial alignment with said ports and adapted to discharge marking fluid at a high pressure through the stencils and ports onto the workpiece, valves mounted on said structure controlling the flow of marking fluid through said nozzles, valve-actuator means mounted on said structure for simultaneously opening said valves for a brief period of time when a workpiece is in alignment with said ports, power means on said structure for operating said actuator means, a shaft journaled adjacent said moving means extending substantially normal thereto, and means for mounting said housing on said shaft for swinging movement from a position adjacent said conveying means to a retracted position at one side thereof.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 including bumper means on said housing adjacent said moving means in position to be contacted by said workpiece if its leading end is uplifted.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including a housing of which said plate is the bottom wall, said housing enclosing said stencils, nozzles, valves, actuator and power means.

7. Apparatus according toclaim 6 including means for directing water on the face of said stencils, and means for directing air on the face of said stencils adjacent said nozzles. 

